1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile device, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for and a method of unlocking a touch-input mobile device by embodying an unlocking function using pattern recognition, thereby increasing user convenience and ensuring security improvement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile devices such as mobile phones are used daily by many people, and a wide variety of private information is stored in them.
In particular, since private information, including phone numbers, data related to credit card payment, data related to stock transaction, requires a greater degree of security is stored in the mobile device, it has become an important issue to restrict a third party from accessing the private information using a locking function of a mobile device.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of unlocking a conventional mobile device.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a conventional mobile device having a locking function set thereto (S101), when a numeric password is input through a keypad (S102), it is checked whether the input numeric password is identical with a numeric password preset by a user (S103). If the input numeric password is identical with the preset numeric password, the locking function set in the mobile device is canceled to allow the user to use the device (S104).
However, prior to use of the mobile device, due to the inconvenience having to enter passwords, users tend to be reluctant to use a locking function of the mobile device.
In recent years, there has been a gradually increasing demand for a large display in mobile devices. Further, a considerable amount of power consumed in such a mobile device is attributable to power consumption by the LCD unit. Accordingly, it is desirable to block power applied to the LCD unit when the mobile device is not used.
A power supply control switch or a touch sensor has conventionally been used to control power applied to an LCD unit of a mobile device.
However, in a mobile device that is usually put in a pocket or bag while it is not in use, the power applied to the LCD unit is controlled by means of a separate control switch or by a keypad for simple touch input, the control switch or keypad is likely to be inadvertently pressed, resulting in unnecessary power consumption.